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O. P. T. STEINWAY. Piano-Action and Action-Frame.

vNo. 226,462. Y Patented April 13,1880.

2Sheets$heet 2. C'. F. T. STEINWAY.

Piano-Action and Action-Frame.

No. 226,462. 7 Patented April 13,1880.

Nv PET RS, PHOTO-L THDBRAPNER WASHINGTON D O UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE,

CHRISTIAN F. TI-IEODOR STEINWAY, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y.

PIANO-ACTION AND ACTION-FRAM E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,462, dated April13, 1880.

Application filed January 14, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN F. THEoDoRSTEINWAY, of the city and State of New York, have invented certainImprovements in Piano- Actions and Action-Frames, of which the followingis a specification.

The first part of my invention, which relates to that class ofpiano-action frames having horizontal wooden rails secured to verticalmetallic standards or hangers introduced transversely into the frame atconvenient distances apart, consists in casting upon the standardslaterally-projecting notched flanges or lugs, for the purpose ofreceiving the screws by which the rails are secured to the standard, andin so arranging the bearings of the 11ammer-rail upon the standard thatthe screws by which it is fastened are inserted convergently into thewood, thus having a binding effect and constituting a fastening whichcannot be loosened by any shrinkage of the wooden rail.

The second part of my invention, which re lates to the mode ofcushioning the nose of the hammer-butt in a piano-action, and also tothe mode of cushioning the jack-lever hearing which receives the impactof the key or tappet by which force is transmitted for operating theaction, consists in backing the felt or cloth shield which is applied tothe nose of the hammer-butt, and against which the end of thejackstrikes, with two pieces of elastic cloth or felt, the adjoining edgesof which form an obtuse angle, the piece of cloth nearer the axis of thehammer butt being preferably harder than the other, and the hammer-buttbeing preferably slightly recessed to receive the more elastic adjoiningpiece of cloth. This mode of cushioning affords a sharp corner ortransverse line, defining the harder part of the cushion, and a moreabrupt bend in the outer shield than can be made when a single piece ofheavy cloth is employed, as heretofore, in which case the bend isnecessarily curved upon a longer radius.

My cushion for the hammer-butt, to which 1 have given the name of doublecushion, greatly increases the nimbleness of the action by lessening therange of oscillation required for the disengagement and re-engagement ofthe jack with the hammer-butt.

My double cushion presents a comparatively hard surface to receivetheimpact of the heavier blows of the jack, and a more elastic surfaceto receive those less violent impacts of the jack which are made whenthe repetition is too rapid to permit the jack to drop to its normalposition after each blow. This part of my invention further includes thecushioning of the jack-lever bearing with a strip of felt or heavycloth, glued at its ends to the end walls of a slightly'curved recessformed in the face of a wooden shoulder projecting downward from theunder side of the jack-lever. The outer surface of the strip of felt orcloth thus applied forms a rolling bearin for the key or tappet by whichthe jack-lever is lifted, and, by reason of being fastened at the ends,the entire strip of felt or cloth is in a condition of longitudinaltension. This mode of fastening the cushion-strip in place and utilizingthe longitudinal elasticity of the cloth capacitates it for withstandinglong-continued use without losing its elasticity to such an extent as tocause a noise or thud to be made by the blow upon it of the key ortappet which lifts the jack-lever.

Finally, this part of my invention consists in providing thejack-leverwith a wooden shoulder the grain of which is substantially perpendicularto the lever, and which is fastened by means of a narrow tongue, whichis glued in a slot or recess formed in the bottom of the jack-lever.

By this mode of construction I guard against any diminution in theamount of projection of the shoulder from the jack-lever, and consequentvariation in the relation of the jack-lever with the key or tappet whichoperates it, which might result from the shrinking of the material ifthe shoulder and jack-lever were formed of one piece of wood, or if thegrain of the wood of the shoulder were parallel with the under surfaceof the jack-lever.

The accompanying drawings, which represent my improvements embodied inan upright piano, are as follows:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a portion of the actioirframe, and Fig.2 is a vertical section of the frame through the line 0000 on Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section exhibiting the action in a stateof rest. Fig. 4; is a similar section, showing the relative positions ofthe end of the jack and the nose of the hammer-butt when the hammer isin the act of striking, immediately before the disengagement of thejack. Fig. 5 is a full-sized elevation of a hammer-butt the nose ofwhich is provided with my improved double cushion, showing in solidlines the normal. position of the jack and butt, and indicating indotted lines the relative positions assumed by the parts preparatory tothe delivery of the thrust of the jack when the action is employed forrapid repetition.

The drawings represent a portion of apianoaction frame composed of themetallic standards or hangers A, introduced transversely into the frameat convenient distances apart.

The hammer-rail B is secured to each standard by the screws 1) I) and bI), which are respectively inserted through the notches a a and a a castin the laterally-proiecting flanges A and r. on the inner edges of thestandards.

It will be observed that the bearings B and B of the lnm'nnerrail uponthose parts of the standard through which the fastening-screws pass areat such an angle with each other that the fastening-screws are insertedconvergently in the rail, and hence pull against each other, so that anyshrinkage of the hammer-rail, instead of loosening the connection of therail with the standard, has the effect of tightening it by increasingthe strain on the heads of the fastening-screws. This prevents thevibration of the rail in case of shrinkage and permanently maintains therail in proper relation to the standard.

By casting the notches in the flanges of the hangers I avoid thedifliculty of boring holes for the screws, which ordinarily requires along slender drill, and is difficult because of the extreme hardness ofcast flanges. The necessity for boring holes in the flanges in which thefastening-screws will make a tight fit is obviated by inyinvention ofangular bearings for the rail upon the standard andconvergently-inserted holding-screws.

It will be seen that I provide notched flanges on both sides of thestandard for the reception of the rail-screws, and I preferably insertthe adjoining screws on the opposite sides of the standard inslightly-inclined directions, so that these screws are also relativelyconvergent. I also cast laterally-projecting notched flanges or lugs 0upon the standards for the reception of the screws 0, by which thedamper-guard or hammer-spring rail is fastened.

The end standards of the frame may be provided with the wider notchedflanges A, and it will be convenient to proy ide those of the standardswhich are introduced intermediately into the frame with the narrowernotched flanges A, in order that the flanges may not interfere with anyportion of the action.

The advantages resulting from this mode of securing the horizontal railsto the standard are alike important in both upright and horizontalpiano-action frames, and are equally attainable in both cases by theemployment of this part of my invention.

My jack-lever D is provided with a downwardly-projecting woodenshoulder, (1, having upon its lower edge a recessed curved face, (1. Thecurved face of the recess is cushioned by a strip of felt or thickwoolen cloth, (P, which is stretched over it and glued at its ends tothe end walls of the recess, the radius of the curve and the length ofthe cushioned strip being such that in operation, as the bearing rollsupon the key or other object by which the jack is lifted, there remainsconstantly interposed between the curved face of the wooden shoulderandthe keyor end of the tappet which operates the lever a section of clothwhich, by reason of being stretched and glued at its ends, is bothlongitudinally and transversely elastic. The wooden shoulder (Z isprovided with a narrow tongue, (1 which is glued in the transverseslot 1) formed in the under side of the jack-lever, the grain of thewood of which the shoulderd is composed being substantiallyperpendicular to the under surface of the jacklever. The hamlner-buttEoscillates upon the usual pivot c, and has its lower end, 0, providedwith the usual cushion 0 against which the inner corner of thejack Fbears when the act-ion is at rest.

In operation the end of the jack strikes against that part of the clothor felt shield Gr immediately adjoining the cushion c. The shield G is astrip of cloth or felt glued at one end in a transverse recess, 0 in thearm a of the hammer-butt, and glued at the other end to the inclinedface g, which forms the upper part of the nose of the hammer-butt.Immediately above that part of the shield G which is over the upper endof the cushion 0 I apply the preferably hard cloth H, which is glued tothe inclined face g, forming the lower part of the nose of thehammer-butt, and extends outwardly a slight distance beyond the face ofthe cushion 0 Between the two faces 9 and g of the hammer-butt I formanother face, which is slightly recessed, and to which I glue the moreelastic strip of cloth h, the inner or lower edge of which immediatelyadjoins the higher or outer edge of the harder cushioirstrip II.

It will be seen that the two cushion-strips H and h form an obtuse anglewith each other, and that there is hence a sharp bend in the clothshield G, which is backed up by the two cushion-strips H and h. Thepresence of this sharp bend in the shield Gr diminishes the range ofoutward oscillation required for the disengagement of the upper end ofthe jack from the nose of the hammer-butt, and when the hammer hasdelivered its blow correspondingly diminishes the range of backwardoscillation required to enable the jack to re-engage the nose of thehammer-butt in position to repeat the operation of the hammer.

In the ordinary method of construction, where the cushion is composed ofa single strip of cloth, the nose is necessarily more round-- IIO IIS

ing, the curve being necessarily on a longer radius, and the upper endof the jack requires therefore a greater range of outward oscillation inorder to clearit from the hammer-nose, and correspondingly a likegreater range'of backward oscillation to enable it to re-engage thenose.

I preferably employ the harder cushion-stri p H to receive those moreviolent thrusts of the jack When it starts from its normal positionunder the influence of a powerful stroke upon the key. When the strokesupon the key are rapidly repeated the end of the jack engages that partof the shield opposite the more elastic cushiol'l-strip ll, because insuch case the strokes are repeated before the hammer and jack have timeto fall fully back to their normal positions.

The angle of the more elastic part of the cushion and its degree ofelasticity suitably adapt it for engagement and disengagement with theend of the jack during a rapid suc cession of strokes upon the key.

I claim as my invention 1. A metallic standard for a piano-action frameprovided with laterally projecting notched flanges or lugs for thereception of the screws by which the horizontal rails of the frame aresecured, substantially as described.

2. A metallic standard for a piano-action frame, and a woodenhammer-rail, in combination with convergently-inserted screws forsecuring the hannner-rail to the standard, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. A cushion for the jack lever bearing, which receives the impact ofthe tappet or key by which the action is operated, composed of a stripof thick cloth, felt, or other suitable material, fastened at its endsfor the purpose of utilizing the longitudinal elasticity of the cloth,substantially as shown anddescribed.

4. Thejack-lever D, provided with the downwardly-projecting woodenshoulder (I, having upon its lower edge the recessed curved face d,covered with the thick felt or woolen cloth d glued at its ends to theend walls of the recess, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The shoulder (l, carrying upon its lower face the cushion d, andprovided upon its upper end with the narrow tongue (1 for insertion inthe slot D in the under side of the 'jack-lever, the grain of the woodof which the shoulder is composed being substantially perpendicular tothe under side of the jack-lever, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

6. A double cushion for the nose of the hammer-butt, composed of anexternal shield of felt, cloth, or other suitable material, backed upwith two adjoining strips of thick cloth glued to two inclined facesupon the nose of the ham menbutt, and forming an obtuse angle at theirmeeting edges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a double cushion for the nose of the hammer-butt, the combinationof the shield G with the harder cushion-strip H and the more elasticcushion-strip h, the two strips H and It being glued to the faces g andg of the hammer-butt E at such a relative inclination that the meetingedges of the two strips H and h form an obtuse angle, substantially asshown and described.

CHRISTIAN l THEODOR S'IEJNWAY.

Witnesses:

CONSTANTIN SCHMIDT, HENRY ZIEGLER.

